I’m happier without Amazon Prime

Since moving to Colombia a couple years ago, I’m happier. One thing that makes me happier is not having two-day shipping with Amazon Prime.

If I want to buy something from Amazon, it takes about two weeks to arrive. As a result:

• I buy much fewer things. It has to be worth the long wait, and paying more to get it to me.
• I plan ahead, ordering many things at once to save on shipping and import taxes.
• I spend less mental energy anticipating new shipments, checking on the status of new shipments, opening boxes, or being distracted by new items.

When I had Amazon Prime, I would order indiscriminately throughout my day. One-click buying was convenient, but it just became one more distraction on top of Facebook and Twitter.

As soon as I’d think about buying something, I would either buy it, or waste energy deciding which thing to buy.

Packages would arrive almost every day. Almost every day was interrupted at some point by a package arriving, and opening that package, getting excited or disappointed about its contents, then disposing of the packaging.

Now, if I think of something I need to buy, I put it on a list. I only order items during my “weekly review” on Sunday afternoons.

I spend less energy buying stuff, thinking about buying stuff, or in the wasteful cycle of anticipation, reception, and (sometimes) disappointment in a delayed shipment.

Previously, I thought that fast shipment gave me joy, or made my life easier. Sometimes this is true, but mostly it steals energy I could use on writing.

I wonder if this would work for other people? If you’re not ready to try canceling your Amazon Prime account, opt sometime for a slower shipping option (you can sometimes earn credit toward Kindle books this way). Try batching your shipments. See how it feels. Maybe you’re happier without Prime.

You don’t even have to wait two days to read my new book, The Heart to Start. It goes to your Kindle instantly, and it will inspire you to make choices that make your art a priority.